


The Morning After

by Fenchurch87



Series: Tales of Kirkwall (and Beyond) [13]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Canon Divergent Hawke Family, Depression, Family Feels, Gen, Heartbreak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26197606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fenchurch87/pseuds/Fenchurch87
Summary: A heartbroken Leif Hawke has a visit from his father. Originally written in response to a writing prompt on /r/dragonage.
Series: Tales of Kirkwall (and Beyond) [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1086066





	The Morning After

Leif ignored the knock at the door and burrowed deeper beneath the blankets. How had this happened? He had been full of hope when he first opened his eyes; he'd thought he had something to look forward to for the first time in years. Now he felt as if all his dreams had crumbled.

Could things have ended differently if he had done something else? Said something else? He cycled through all the words he had considered and discarded. _Please don't go_ _ ? I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore? I love you? _ They sounded as wrong and out of place now as they had earlier. No. There was nothing he could have done.

The knock came again, insistent, intruding.

“Fuck off, Ingrid!” She wouldn't be hearing any of the details. Not this time.

“That’s no way to talk to your sister, is it?” The baritone voice on the other side of the door was tinged with amusement. “Or me for that matter.”

Father. Shit.

“Sorry.” He poked his head out from under the bedclothes and tried to arrange them into some semblance of order. “Come in.”

The door opened, and his father entered carrying a tray. The smell of freshly baked bread followed him into the room, a tantalising aroma that was usually enough to make Leif's mouth water. But not today; the lead weight in the pit of his stomach would make eating impossible.

“This is a late start for you. So I thought I'd bring you breakfast and see if you were okay.” Magnus set the tray down on the bedside table and perched on the one chair in the corner of the room. “What happened last night?”

Leif shifted uncomfortably under his father's gaze. “Nothing. I was a little late getting to bed and I must have overslept.” He shrugged and forced a laugh. “You know me. I get caught up in a book and completely lose track of time.”

“I can tell when you're lying, Leif. I'm your father.” Magnus scratched his beard thoughtfully. “And a few hours ago I happened to see a certain white haired elf sneaking out the door.”

Oh no. “I'm sorry, Father.” He felt heat creeping across his cheeks. “This isn't how I wanted you to find out.”

“Find out what?” Magnus chuckled. “I've known about you and Fenris for years. You can barely keep your eyes off each other whenever you're in a room together.”

“But–” Words momentarily failed him as he stared at his father. “But he's an elf. And– and a man.”

“And? You must have a very low opinion of me if you think I'd be upset about something like that.” Leif detected a note of hurt in Magnus's voice, though he concealed it well. “Listen,” he continued, “as long as you're safe and happy, who you share your bed with is no business of mine.”

Leif remained silent, pulling at a loose thread on one of the blankets. He could still feel his father's eyes on him, considering. Scrutinising.

“But you're not happy, are you?” Magnus surmised.

He shook his head. There seemed little point in denying it.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. It's... complicated.” And still too raw, too painful. “I'd rather be alone, if you don't mind.”

Magnus peered at him a little longer, concern written in every line on his face, but finally he nodded. “Alright. But I'm always here if you change your mind.” He stood up and gestured towards the breakfast tray. “I'll leave that there in case you feel like eating later.” He stopped beside the bed and rested his hands on Leif's shoulders, just for a moment. “I love you.”

Leif swallowed hard against the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. “I love you too, Father.”

As the door closed, he retreated under the bedclothes and hid from the world. If only he could hide from his own thoughts.


End file.
